Public governance

Women, Government and Policy Making in OECD Countries

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Too few women are being promoted to senior government posts or given decision-making roles in the public sector, according to a new OECD report.

The report shows that women number just 16 out of 200 heads of state and government. On average, only one in five of lawmakers around the world are women, and in OECD countries women make up less than a third of all public-sector decision makers.

The report also reveals big differences between countries. While Nordic nations do better than eastern and southern European nations at promoting women in the public sector, some emerging countries like South Africa and Costa Rica are among the best at breaking gender barriers. Rwanda ranks first among all countries in terms of the number of women elected to parliament.